Speedy Urban Transit? Buses!
Although “speed ride” and “city bus” are phrases that have not typically been used in the same sentence, we may find ourselves uttering them in real time with increased frequency. Given the expense of constructing light rail systems, cities across the country have been turning more attention, and investment to “bus rapid transit” (BRT). Read on for the latest developments aimed at speeding up urban transit.
Fast and Efficient Transportation
Although light rail construction continues in many cities, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is gaining attention and dollars too. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) defines BRT as “a high-quality bus-based transit system that delivers fast and efficient service that may include dedicated lanes, busways, traffic signal priority, off-board fare collection, elevated platforms and enhanced stations.” Noting that “BRT has advanced throughout the U.S. over the last two decades as congestion has increased and community leaders have sought affordable transit alternatives,” the FTA points to the growing investment in BRT in cities such as: New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Las Vegas…Minneapolis, Eugene, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Hartford, and Richmond, VA.
With features similar to light rail transit, investment in BRT can result in reliable and speedy transportation, especially when compared to traditional urban bus services. At
Construction Dive, Yonah Freemark, a researcher at the Urban Institute and the creator of The Transport Politic, observes, “Cities are investing in less costly bus rapid transit over light rail systems….Over the past decade, a lot of cities have been reorienting their investment approaches….Light rail is just very expensive for these cities, and they’re not finding the mechanism to reduce that.”
Construction Dive’s Dan Zukowski explains that “BRT lines generally run on dedicated traffic lanes, while arterial rapid transit systems use existing traffic lanes, often with bus signal priority, and reports: “More than 160 miles of new rail, bus and other fixed-guideway transit lines opened in the U.S. in 2025, and about 94 miles more are projected to be completed this year….” Among the major “new fixed guideway transit lines” expected to open in 2026 are:
- Atlanta will launch a 3.1-mile BRT line from downtown Atlanta to the Atlanta BeltLine.
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana, plans to complete a 9.3-mile arterial rapid transit line to connect the north and south sides of the city to its downtown.
- Kansas City will extend its streetcar line 0.7 miles to Berkeley Riverfront Park, while Orange County, California, expects to open its 4-mile streetcar line connecting the cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove.
- Seattle’s 7.5-mile light rail extension will connect two existing light rail lines across Lake Washington.
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